EMQ’s With Jaded Truth
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Heavy/ Punk/ Alt Metal band, Jaded Truth. Huge thanks to their Drummer, Michael Small, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My Name is Michael Small, I play drums in Jaded Truth and I also do the production, mixing & mastering for the band. We are from St John’s, Newfoundland. We formed in 2019 and we play heavy music, a mixture of Punk, Heavy Metal and Alternative Rock. We are very influenced by the 90’s Seattle Grunge scene. We have 3 full length albums, “Rx” (2020) “Tsukimono” (2021) and our latest album “Take a Seat” (2022)
How did you come up with your band name?
The name pretty much represents the attitude of the band. It invokes feelings of nihilism, apathy, disillusion… It’s not all doom & gloomy in this band but we feel the world can be a shitty place and you have to expect the worst… We went through so many different bands & breakups over the years, we became kind of “jaded” with the whole music industry, so that kind of inspired the name. When I heard it, I thought it was the perfect name for a Punk band!
What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?
We are from a small island off the east coast of Canada called Newfoundland. The capital city St. Johns actually has a long history of punk rock dating back to the 80’s & 90’s. It’s a small scene when it comes to Rock & Metal but there has always been a lot of great bands active in St. John’s over the years. Check out HeavyNFLD on YouTube. Great source and archive for Newfoundland Heavy Music!
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our newest album “Take a Seat” released November 25, 2022. The album has a lot of apocalyptic themes. With the pandemic, social / political unrest, it seems like society is collapsing around us. So that was a big influence on this album. The current state of the world.
Who have been your greatest influences?
As I said, we are very influenced by the Grunge bands of the 90’s. Nirvana, Alice in chains, Soundgarden. Those bands really inspired us to play. We are also metalheads so bands like Metallica, Pantera, Slayer is in there. And you can’t forget the Punk side, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Misfits. We put all these influences into a melting plot to create our music… also bands like, The Cure, Pink Floyd, Rush. Even some Hip-Hop stuff, like Eminem, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G. We listen to so much music, it all has influenced us in a way…
What first got you into music?
For me, it was Eminem. Growing up I had never heard anything like that before so that really opened the flood gates of music for me. In the early 2000’s, Nu-Metal was really popular. Bands like System Of A Down, Korn and Limp Bizkit were really my first love and introduction to heavy music. Then I soon found the Grunge scene, Nirvana has always been and always will be my favourite #1 band. They just had the biggest impact on me as a kid. And I soon got into heavier stuff like Metallica, Slayer… even more extreme stuff like Death Metal / Black Metal, bands like Opeth and Cradle of Filth, Darkthrone. New York bands like Type O Negative, Life of agony. This list goes on and on…
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I would love to collaborate with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. I think he is one of the greatest producers and mixers around. I don’t know if he would be into Jaded Truth’s music. But he is a hero of mine. Defiantly my top pick!
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Maybe Something like Wacken or Hellfest. I know those are mainly Metal festivals. I’ve never looked at Jaded Truth as a full-on Metal band, but we have some heavy hitter tracks. I think we could hold our own in front of those crowds!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
Their undivided attention. That’s worth more than gold nowadays.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Keep it Jaded. Ha ha!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
I would probably pick Peter Steele from Type O Negative. I am a massive Type O fan and his death really had a big impact on me. I think he had a lot more music to offer the world. Type O is probably bigger and more popular now than when Steele was alive… Too bad he didn’t live to see it. What a Legend and a musical genius!
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I love the creative process. Jamming, writing songs with the guys…. When the ideas are flowing and you start creating a song out of nothing. Thats a truly amazing feeling. Sometimes I hate the tediousness of the recording process.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I really think streaming services should pay bands more for their streams. Spotify and these other streaming services were built on music, yet they pay millions to podcasts like Joe Rogan. I love Rogan, don’t get me wrong, but music is what built Spotify. It just seems totally unfair
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
I’ll say “October Rust” by Type O Negative since I mentioned them a few times. Really amazing band, wish Peter was still around.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Whatever suits you best, to each their own!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Probably our first ever gig! It was at a bar called Distortion which has since closed. It was a real hub for Punk & Metal in St John’s. A lot of good times at that place!
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I would probably be an actor or a youtuber. I’ve always loved film & I was in the drama club in high school. Maybe I’d try to be a director! I get to make music videos for the band, so that satisfies my passion for film in a way!
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Peter Steele, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Layne Stayle, & Tupac. All my dead heroes.
What’s next for the band?
Well, we are really excited to get this new album our to fans! And hopefully we will be playing more shows and one day touring the world! That’s the dream!
What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
We are on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. Just search Jaded Truth. We aren’t hard to find!
Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?
Maybe little bit of both! Ha ha!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks so much for the interview! We hope fans check out this latest album, “Take a Seat”. And don’t forget to follow us on social media, just search up Jaded Truth. Have a great day!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
